The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-06-08
oLD-TIuE CORN SMOKING.



Scenes in Georgia In Slavery Days Before the
War Of the Rebellion.
From the Atlanta Constitution.
Day after day for a whole week the
loaded wagons had been driven to the
lot, each depositing its load on the
semicircular pile, that had grown
higher and higher, until Charley Green,
the driver, himself could not see over
the top OF it. Then came the night oil
nights, the corn shucking.
The hands on the plantations, far
and near. had assembled to join in the
work that was more than half frolic.
Blowing merry tunes on their quilts,
stopping every new and then for
pat and dance" in the sandy road,
they came singly, in pairs, and in
crowds, singing snatches OF wild plan.
tation melodies, or "whooping"
in that peculiar way OF theirs
which was like the rich tones
OF buslo sounding far away. Rapid
ly the crowd gathered the dusky light
OF an October evening had settled
down into a perfect night, q night
with never a feck of cloud to obscure
the light OF the faintest star, and no
coouettish moon TO dim the lustre OF
rival planets. Across the fields hung
shreds of silvery mist, and far away
beyond the gently undulating surface
OF the cotton fields rose, gaunt and
grim, the dark line OF swamp that lay
along the river. Ten thousand dew
drops sparkled on the grass, so that
the face OF the earth seemed but a
dim reflection OF the arch OF the glow
ing heavens.
"Who gwine to be de LEADER"
"Chally; let Chally be de leader"
cried chorus OF voices; and Charley,
mounting the sloping semicircle oil
corn and Selling a large ear for his
baton, would begin
o, dey's one ting er po'man
Seldom evan do,
Frow out de ole con
To put in de new.
All 'roun' de con pile,
Hoe Jolly no.
All fOunu ue co II piiSi
Hoe Jolly no.
This was the signal for beginning,
and the duskyforms seated themselves,
knelt in q convenient attitude, and
the cleaning ears flew thick and fast
through the air:
o. big Joe, little Joe, yon bettah go;
Jennie bake er hoccake slow, too slow,
All 'roun' de co pile,
oejolly ho
All 'roun de co n pile,
Hoe Jolly hol
And the entire crowd joined in the
refrain that, bursting out upon the
cool night all, waited on the winds
and echoed and re-echoed from the rlv-
er swamp to the pine ridge.
The rustling OF the husks and the spir-
tied patter OF the clean ears as they
fell in the open space in front was ike
the soft tripping OF fairy feet as an &C.
compartment to the merry music, up
and down the levelled walk, keeping
time with the music.
By and by there was short cessa-
tioi, and the old brown jug was pass
ed from mouth to mouth around the
circle. 1t contained the fiery spirit oil
the corn, and as each lusty laborer
guiped his dram he smacked his lips,
and, with "Thank' ee, boss, resumed
his labors. Then the drum-malor
struck up a new tune:
From Sat'd'y night 'twell Sunday
De gals Is in my min,
But CIR Monday mo- min light am seen,
De wife man got me agwine.
o. git erlong down de road,
o. git erlong down de road,
Come, git erlong down de road,
My love,
Come git eriong down de road.
While lives in dc country
MY gal lives in dc town;
Sometime have notion. love,
To Jump in de river an drown.
OF git erlong down de road,
OF git erlong down de road,
Come, git erlong down de road,
My love,
Come git erlong down de road.
Higher and higher mounted the stars,
and brighter glowed the frosted silver
band OF the milky way. as it hung sus'
pended midway the blue-black vault
OF the far away heavens. And still
the work, il one might class it as work,
went on. Charley changed his song,
and alter he had sung each stanLa,
with the aid OF few voices, the crowd
would join in the refrain, and 1t sound
ed as IL one voice, so true was the har'
mony and natural unison.
law bird died wild the whoopin' cough,